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This invention relates generally to an infant sitting support device and more specifically to an inflatable infant sitting support device with an inflatable and detachable safety bar across the front, that allows an infant or young developmentally delayed child to sit safely and comfortably without frequent adult intervention during the developmental stages when the infant or younger developmentally delayed child does not yet have the full ability of sitting upright without support. Furthermore the inflatable safety bar attached across the front provides a means for an infant or developmentally delayed child who has fallen forward, to return to an upright sitting position alone and maintain balance while sitting, thus allowing the infant or developmentally delayed child to strengthen and learn to use the muscles needed to sit upright without support.
The prior art contains several devices intended to be used as sitting support devices for infants and young children, ranging from pillow like devices to be placed around the middle of the infant that also double as nursing pillows and infant propping devices, to devices designed specifically for the developmental stage when infants are first learning to sit upright.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,134 (Matthews) discloses an Infant Support Pillow which is designed to act as a pillow support when feeding an infant in a cradled position, when laying an infant within the confines of the device and as a lower back support for infants learning to sit alone. The device disclosed by Matthews however, is not high enough on the back or sides to prevent an infant from falling over the back or sides and there is nothing across the front to prevent falls forward or for an infant to grasp onto and maintain balance.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,567 (Kenoyer) discloses a Baby Back Support which is meant to be attached to the lower back of an infant with the base of the triangular pillow support touching the floor when the infant is sitting and thereby acting as a sitting support. The device disclosed by Kenoyer can help keep an infant from falling over backward however, it does not address the infant falling over to the sides or the front.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,605 (Greenwood, et at) discloses an Inflatable Booster Seat which consists of an upper xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d shaped piece attached to a bottom doughnut shaped piece, both of which are inflatable. The device disclosed by this patent however, is intended for use by young children when sitting on a regular adult sized chair and is not intended for use by young infants as a sitting support.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,115,529 (White) discloses a Support for selectively seating and developing balance and motor control in infants. This device is comprised of two freestanding cushion-like pieces which can be combined together to make the sitting support. While the sides are high enough to prevent an infant from falling over them, there is no support in the front to prevent an infant from falling over forward, nor is there anything for the infant to grasp onto and maintain balance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,937 (Mason, et al) discloses an Infant Sitting Support and Head Protection Ring comprised of a circular or oval ring with the back wall raised and intended to hold an infant snugly within the interior of the ring. While the disclosed device does address an infant falling forward, this device would not be suitable for developmentally delayed children as a sitting support device because it is made to the size of an infant and does not allow for an infant or child to have straightened legs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,902 (Famworth et al) discloses a Seat for Baby which is inflatable and horseshoe shaped with a non-inflatable seat bottom and buttresses on the outer sides, however the height of the inflatable horseshoe shaped wall is not the same throughout and tapers at the ends, the non-inflatable seat bottom does not contain a cushioned area and it is not noted in the disclosure that it is made with a rayon-flocked vinyl or other skid proof surface. Furthermore there is not a Head and Neck Support piece and there is no support bar to be placed across the top of the front of the device. Therefore, protection for an infant that falls forward is not addressed and there is nothing for an infant or developmentally delayed child to hold onto for balance.
It is the general object of the present invention to provide an inflatable infant sitting support that is safe, comfortable, effective, economical and convenient. It is also the object of the present invention to provide an inflatable infant sitting support that is useful from an infant""s first attempts to sit upright when they still fall forward as well as backward and to the sides, until the infant has grown into a child who would just like a support cushion for sitting comfortably on the floor. Another object of the present invention is to provide an inflatable sitting support that can be used by younger developmentally delayed children in attempts to sit upright. A further object of the present invention is to provide an inflatable infant sitting support that is easy to wipe clean and can be deflated and folded into a small enough parcel that it can easily be stored in small spaces or packed in a suitcase when traveling.
The present invention is comprised of five pieces, four of which are inflatable. The fifth piece being flat with a central padded area to cushion the bottom of the infant or child when seated upon the floor. The primary inflatable piece is shaped like a tubular letter xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d or horseshoe, with the inflated sides and back of the piece all having the same height or diameter throughout, and has an open front to allow for the infant or child to sit inside the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d or horseshoe with straightened legs. The back of the primary piece is shaped like the curve in the letter xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d or horseshoe and includes two other attached inflatable pieces, one attached at the top of the back of the primary piece and the other attached to the bottom of the back of the primary piece. The inflatable piece attached to the top of the back of the primary piece has an inflated crescent shape and is intended to support the head and neck of an infant or child when sitting in the support device. The inflatable piece attached to the bottom of the back of the primary piece is shaped like an elongated rectangle and is intended to prevent the support device from tipping over backward. The final inflatable piece is the safety bar, which can be attached across the top of the front of the primary inflatable piece and is intended to prevent an infant from falling forward completely to the floor. The safety bar also provides something infants can hold onto for balance and for trying to push themselves back into an upright sitting position without adult intervention. The non-inflatable fifth piece, as above, is a layered piece of vinyl, shaped to enclose the opening at the bottom of the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d or horseshoe shaped, inflatable primary piece and acts as the seat part of the sitting support device. This fifth piece has a central padded area to cushion the bottom of the infant or child sifting on the floor and it is attached to the bottom of the primary inflatable piece along two continuous lines following the shape of the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d or horseshoe. One continuous line following along the center of the inflated xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d or horseshoe shapexe2x80x94the center of where the inflated device is touching the floor. The second continuous line also following along the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d or horseshoe shape, however placed close enough to the area where the infant will sit so as to prevent an infant""s head from becoming stuck between the primary inflatable piece and the non-inflatable bottom of the device.